


The Illusion of Living

by phantomthief_fee



Series: BATIM Drabbles [16]
Category: Bendy and the Ink Machine
Genre: Alternate Universe, Joey messes up and turns the studio employees into toons basically
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-17
Updated: 2017-10-17
Packaged: 2019-01-18 20:04:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12395229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phantomthief_fee/pseuds/phantomthief_fee
Summary: Things get a little weird at Joey Drew Studios when the employees start turning into toons.





	The Illusion of Living

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Free Yourself From Reason](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12391956) by [MsFaust](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsFaust/pseuds/MsFaust). 



> So, MsFaust sent me the prompt they did for their fic and asked me to do my own take.

> By [@magicalmonsterhero](https://tmblr.co/mctfDpl6LStDVGfHpM3ZLTA)
> 
> About a month after the studio switched to a more modern animation style, Wally noticed some changes. Initially, it was small things–greater energy levels, more pronounced displays of anger or other strong feelings, and the like. Then Sammy got into an argument with one of the band’s saxophone players, ending with the former having a spastic outburst, throwing his music sheets on the floor and leaving the room in a huff. Joey had started sending the interns to a different coffee shop, hoping it would have some effect, but that didn’t work.
> 
> Then one day, Grant came in wearing sunglasses, which he wouldn’t remove no matter how much anyone told him to. When Wally finally managed to grab them, it was revealed that Grant’s eyes had changed to resemble those of a cartoon character.
> 
> Henry immediately went to find Joey.
> 
> (I did this one myself, but I was curious as to how you’d do it.)
> 
>  

“JOEY WHAT THE FUCK!” Wally yelled, gesturing wildly toward the accountant, who had put his sunglasses back on. All three of them had gone down to Joey’s office as soon as Wally had wrenched the sunglasses off Grant. Wally because he was making a scene, Grant because he needed to get away, and Henry because he wanted to know just what the everloving fuck Joey had done this time. It had to be Joey’s fault. Anytime something happened involving ink or toons, it was definitely Joey. Besides, the actual toons had been too busy to be playing any pranks. 

“It’s not as bad as it looks.” Grant said. “I can still see just fine, and it doesn’t hinder my ability to do my job.”

“Regardless, I’d like to know why our accountant is slowly turning into a toon.” Henry stood before Joey’s desk, arms folded, the perfect picture of a disappointed parent. The disappointed parent look was Henry’s greatest weapon. Everyone faltered under that gaze. 

“Well, I, um, you see…” Joey laughed nervously, pulling at his collar. “It’s not just him….” His lack of composure was especially worrying. Joey was always the perfect picture of poise and sophistication, except when he’d done something wrong and he knew he’d get caught. 

“DREW!” Sammy came storming into the office. He too had pie-cut eyes, and little patches of skin had turned white. 

“Sammy. Hello.” Joey tried to make himself smaller behind his desk. 

“YOU BETTER HAVE AN EXPLANATION, DREW!” Sammy roared, slamming his hands down on Joey’s desk. 

“So, um, as it turns out…” Joey began to wring his hands. “Some of the ink  _might_  have gotten into the coffee- Just a bit! Just a little!”

“So that’s why you’ve been getting the interns to go to an outside coffee shop for our coffee.” Grant sighed. “And here I thought you were just riding up expenses, as usual.”

“Yes, see? I had a reason.” 

“But it would have been nice if you’d simply told us you’d screwed up in the first place.” Grant gave his boss a withering look. “We’re going to be buried in lawsuits, I hope you know that.”

“Is everyone in the studio contaminated?” Henry asked. Joey shifted uncomfortably, continuing to laugh nervously. This, of course, was not a good sign. 

“Oh fuck me sideways.” Sammy said. There was the barest hint of a car horn in his voice when the music director swore, which caused the man to turn and kick the door. 

“We’re…We’re all gonna turn into toons?” Wally asked. 

“….Unfortunately.” Joey nodded. 

“I HATE THIS FUCKING STUDIO!”

“Thank you, Sammy, you’re being very helpful.” Henry said dryly. 

“Sir? Is everything alright?” Cordelia pushed the door open, Susie not far behind her. “I heard yelling.” She stopped when she saw Sammy and Grant. Then she stood up straighter, turned, and walked away very slowly. 

“I’ve been working too hard.” She murmured. “I’m starting to see things.”

“Miss Bell, please come back.” Joey scrambled to the door. “I…I have something I need to tell you and Miss Campbell.” 

And so the next few hours were dedicated to informing the rest of the studio of the predicament they’d found themselves in. Some took it better than others. Johnny found the prospect rather interesting honestly, even if Shawn threw down his paintbrush and joined Sammy in railing against their fates. Susie welcomed the opportunity to be closer to Alice. Murray Hill was spared the fate of the others since he’d been out sick for the week but gladly downed some coffee to join them. Of all of them, Thomas was the calmest. 

“We all knew Joey Drew was going to turn himself into a cartoon character someday.” He said. “Just didn’t expect he’d take all of us with him.” On the other end of the spectrum was Cordelia, who had gone aside to have a panic attack. 

“It’s not that bad.” Johnny tried to assure her. 

“Well, it’s not good.” Norman said. “We’re all going to turn into toons because of Joey’s hairbrained schemes. I don’t blame Sammy and Shawn for being pissed. Hell, _I’m_  pissed.”

“I’ll never be normal again.” Cordelia whimpered, hugging her knees and rocking back and forth. 

“We’ll still be able to live and exist.” Johnny said. “Bendy and the others are already integrated into society. We might be treated differently, sure, but we’ll still be able to go out and do stuff. Living toons are old news now.”

“But toons don’t age! I’ll have to watch everyone I love grow old and die!” 

“What’s going on?” Susie ascended the stairs, with Alice behind her. They’d been drawn by Cordelia’s yelling no doubt. 

“The girl’s just upset about becoming a toon.” Norman leaned back in his chair, feet kicked up next to the projector. “Doesn’t want to see her friends and family die while she lives on forever.” 

“Oh, sweetie.” Susie knelt beside Johnny and the crying Cordelia. Even her teas had turned to ink. 

“It’s not so bad, being a toon.” Alice said. “You can’t get hurt, you can’t die. You’ll be young and beautiful forever.”

“You said that the people here are like your family, right?” Susie asked. “If we’re all going to be toons, then you’ll never lose  _us_.”

“She’s got a point there.” Johnny said, patting her shoulder. “We’ll be together forever. All of us.”

“Who knows how long we’ll be able to tolerate Sammy before we go crazy.” Norman said. 

“I HEARD THAT!” Sammy said from the band room below. 

“I know.”

Cordelia peeked over the edge of the projection booth and giggled a little. Literal steam was coming out of Sammy’s ears. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all. 

.

Adjusting to toondom wasn’t as hard as they’d thought it would be. It was difficult, yes, but not too terribly bad. Learning Hammerspace was interesting. Sammy, and for some reason Wally, had a hard time getting out of their heads. Henry and Murray picked it up the quickest, with Murray practicing delightedly any chance he could get. Joey himself was practically a living cartoon in the first place, adjusting faster than everyone else. Aspects of their personalities changed a bit as well, their most notable characteristics becoming more prominent. Once they’d adjusted, there came the problem of their families. Most of the studio employees weren’t married, but the few who were took the opportunity to offer their families the chance to become toons with them. Henry’s wife, Linda, was a little skeptical but decided to become a toon anyway. Gretta Conners took the offer as well. The children were excluded from the offer since they were too young to properly consider the consequences of the decision. 

Outside the studio, the world was blown away by this miraculous transformation. No one had ever considered that humans could get turned into toons. The news ran a bunch of different stories about the studio and the people in it. A lot of people came to the studio wanting to become toons themselves. Joey was a little surprised by this, but obliged. Only after giving the people time to properly think it through, though. 

“So, how’s Hammerspace practice going, boys?” Bendy asked, walking into Sammy’s office. Gathered inside were Sammy, Wally, Cordelia, and newly minted employee Roy. 

“Fine.” Roy said, pulling his hat out of hammerspace and tilting it down on his head. 

“Sammy was just asking us to help with a new song.” Cordelia said. “I swear, we’re working.”

“Calm down lil lady.” Wally patted her back. “He’s not interrogating us.”

“Or am I?” Bendy wiggled his eyebrows. 

Sammy rolled his eyes. “C’mon, boss. Don’t yank our chain.” 

Bendy snickered and was about to continue to tease the employees until Grant walked in. 

“Ah, there you are sir.” He said, pushing his glasses up his nose. “I wanted to talk to you and Mr. Drew about some billing logistics.” Bendy tried to suppress a groan before turning back to Grant. 

“Alright alright. Let’s do this.” He gestured for Grant to follow, and the accountant did. The two of them disappeared upstairs, leaving the four in Sammy’s office to continue. 

“He didn’t suspect a thing.” Wally said, snickering under his breath. 

“We almost got in trouble!” Cordelia shoved Wally, but gently. Roy just grinned, spinning his hat on his finger. Sammy threw a pencil at Wally. Things were definitely strange now, but it was all par for the course when working at Joey Drew Studios. 


End file.
